The Jitterbug
Judy Garland Lyrics


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Listen all you chillunto that voodoo moan,
There's a modern villunworser than that old boogie woogie,
When that goofy critterspot your fancy clothes,
He injects a jitter,
Starts you dancing on a thousand toes,
There he goes.
Who's that hiding in the tree top?
It's that rascal The Jitterbug,
Should you catch him buzzing 'round you,
Keep away from The Jitterbug.
Oh! The bees in the breeze and the bast in the trees have a terrible, horrible
buzz,
But the bees in the breeze and the bats in the trees couldn't do what The
Jitterbug does;
So be careful of that rascal,
Keep away from The Jitterbug, The Jitterbug.
Who's that hiding in the tree top?
It's that rascal The Jitterbug,
Should you catch him buzzing 'round you,
Keep away from The Jitterbug.
Oh! The bees in the breeze and the bast in the trees have a terrible, horrible
buzz,
But the bees in the breeze and the bats in the trees couldn't do what The
Jitterbug does;
So be careful of that rascal,
Keep away from The Jitterbug, The Jitterbug.
Oh! The Jitter, Oh! The Bug,Oh!
The Jitterbug, Bugabug, bugabug, bugaboo.
In a twitter, in the throes,
Oh the critter's
Got me dancing on a thousand toes,
Thar' she blows
Who's that hiding in the tree top?
It's that rascal The Jitterbug,




Should you catch him buzzing 'round you,
Keep away from The Jitterbug.
Oh! The bees in the breeze and the bast in the trees have a terrible, horrible
buzz,
But the bees in the breeze and the bats in the trees couldn't do what The
Jitterbug does;
So be careful of that rascal,
Keep away from The Jitterbug, The Jitterbug.

Overall Meaning

"The Jitterbug" is a fun and lively song by Judy Garland, which warns listeners about the dangers of the new dance craze known as the jitterbug. The lyrics describe the jitterbug as a modern villain, worse than the old boogie woogie, who injects a jitter that starts the listener dancing on a thousand toes. The song warns that if you catch the jitterbug buzzing around you, you should keep away, as it has a terrible, horrible buzz that can't be compared to the bees or bats in the trees. The jitterbug is described as a rascal, a critter that can get you in its throes and have you dancing in a wild and frenzied way.


The song is a reminder to be cautious when it comes to new fads and trends, particularly those that could be harmful or addictive. The jitterbug, with its infectious rhythm and energy, was seen by some at the time as a dangerous and corrupting influence on young people, and this song captures that sense of warning and concern. As well as being a warning, however, the song is also a celebration of the joy and excitement of dance, with its catchy melody and sing-along chorus encouraging audiences to join in and feel the rhythm.


Line by Line Meaning

Listen all you chillunto that voodoo moan,
Attention all of you out there caught up in that dark magic rhythm,


There's a modern villunworser than that old boogie woogie,
There's a new threat that's worse than the traditional boogie woogie,


When that goofy critterspot your fancy clothes,
When that playful creature sees your fancy attire,


He injects a jitter,
It injects a sense of shakiness,


Starts you dancing on a thousand toes,
Making you dance frenetically on your toes,


There he goes.
There it goes.


Who's that hiding in the tree top?
Who is that hiding on top of the tree?


It's that rascal The Jitterbug,
It's that troublemaker known as The Jitterbug,


Should you catch him buzzing 'round you,
If you happen to spot it flying around you,


Keep away from The Jitterbug.
Stay clear of The Jitterbug.


Oh! The bees in the breeze and the bast in the trees have a terrible, horrible buzz,
The airborne bees and night creatures have a dreadful sound,


But the bees in the breeze and the bats in the trees couldn't do what The Jitterbug does;
However, neither the bees nor the bats could achieve what The Jitterbug does;


So be careful of that rascal,
Beware of that mischief-maker,


Keep away from The Jitterbug, The Jitterbug.
Stay clear of The Jitterbug, The Jitterbug.


Oh! The Jitter, Oh! The Bug,Oh! The Jitterbug, Bugabug, bugabug, bugaboo.
Oh the shake, the bug, the Jitterbug, what a buzz, what a commotion.


In a twitter, in the throes, Oh the critter's Got me dancing on a thousand toes, Thar' she blows
In a state of excitement, in the middle of it all, this creature made me dance uncontrollably on my toes, there it is again.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: E HARBURG, E.Y. HARBURG, HAROLD ARLEN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@ddempslay3520

Idk why this has such a creepy and unnerving quality to it and I kind of love it. It sounds like being on a nonstop carousel that won't let you off which is fitting considering it's about a spell the witch casts to make them dance forever

@amd1273

I remember back in 1995-96 when I was like 5 or 6 seeing this on an extended version of the wizard of oz at a friend's house. I had seen the original movie a bunch of times before. I was absolutely terrified of this for some reason. There was also a video showing different makeup versions of the tin man while his theme song played. I think they were just showing different designs of the character. There was one in particular that scared the living hell out of me. Let's just say I was sleeping in my parents bedroom that night lol.

@robertrose3068

Because this was recorded by a stagehand. Its not the copy that was going to be used.

@isaachedges1270

@@amd1273 Wow this is so strange I was the same way. When I was a child this scene in particular and also the makeup test photos for Buddy Epsom as the Tin Man absolutely terrified me. I used to look at both all the time, and to this day they still mess with me in my subconscious I think hahaha. There was also a deleted song where Dorthy sings 'Over the Rainbow,' and that, combined with the set photos, terrified me too.

@MaskedMan66

@@amd1273 There's never been an extended version of this movie.

@judithemmett9163

@@MaskedMan66 i think in theatres this was shown at the end of the movie as an extended cut

28 More Replies...

@elsa557

Just came here straight from Randy Rainbow's latest vid - The Bunker Boy

@shanna9990

Me too! I wanted to see the original. Never heard of it before.

@484pjfoc

Ditto!

@bobhenson2752

Samesies, Elsa. lol

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